The Pittsburgh Steelers grabbed their eighth win of the season on Sunday when they took down the Baltimore Ravens, which extended Pittsburgh's lead in the AFC North. The defense was dominant as the unit held the potent Baltimore offense to just 16 points, and Pittsburgh's Chris Boswell kicked six field goals to secure the win. This is the second time during the 2024 season that Pittsburgh has relied on Boswell to kick six field goals to win a game, with the other coming in Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons.
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Steelers' Chris Boswell kicks one of six field goals in a win over the Baltimore Ravens in 2024.
While it is great to see Boswell excel as one of the best kickers in the NFL, fans would have liked to see the offense find the end zone at least once. Pittsburgh's offense failed to score a touchdown in the 18-16 victory, which highlights a couple issues with the unit. The biggest issue is execution in the red zone, or near the red zone.
Former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger spoke about a possible solution to the red zone problem when talking about how the offense used Justin Fields on the most recent episode of his podcast, Footbahlin With Ben Roethlisberger.
"I love bringing him in for that," Roethlisberger said. "I would like, what about bringing [Justin] Fields in in the red zone a little bit? I would love to see a change up in the red zone a little bit, just to utilize his legs. We know he's got, I think five touchdowns this year. Why not bring him in in the red zone a little bit to mix it up?"
Fields lost the starting job after Week 6 once Russell Wilson returned to full health, but he was more than serviceable while he was the starter. He led the team to a 4-2 record, but the offense did look a lot different due to his mobility. There has been rumors about certain packages for Fields ever since Wilson took over, and fans saw them for the first time on Sunday against the Ravens. The plays were effective, as Fields ran the ball twice for 17 yards.
USA Today
Steelers' Justin Fields slides during a run against the Ravens in Week 11 of the 2024 season.
During the game in Week 11, the red zone was a clear problem for Pittsburgh. The offense took four trips inside the Ravens' 20-yard line, but had to settle for three field goals and Wilson threw one interception in the end zone. Had the Ravens played like they have all season, the Steelers could have easily lost the game.
The lack of red zone efficiency is worrisome, and Fields may be able to help fix that. He ran in five touchdowns before Wilson joined the starting lineup, and all of them came from inside the red zone. His legs add another threat that the defense needs to worry about, and he is also a threat through the air.
Steelers Do Have Some Worries With The Justin Fields Package
Inserting Fields in at quarterback when the offense gets close to the end zone seems like an easy fix, but in reality, it isn't. Roethlisberger's former backup, Charlie Batch, spoke about how hard it is to come in for just a handful of plays a game. Batch explained that it is difficult to stay warm and loose on the sidelines. For instance, Fields' only play in the second half on Sunday came on Pittsburgh's last drive of the game. He was stagnant on the sidelines for well over an hour, and then was forced to go in and make a play.
Taylor Ollason / Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers QB Justin Fields coming in off of the bench to finish off the Baltimore Ravens in Week 11 of 2024.
Another thing to consider is that the Steelers don't want to show their hand. There are only so many ways to run a read option or a designed quarterback run. The more they use Fields in certain situations, the easier it becomes for the defense to be able to guess what is coming.
Do you agree with Roethlisberger? Should the Steelers use Fields down in the red zone if the struggles continue? Let us know in the comments below!
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